Saturday Success Story #17: Joannalene Escarlos-Abayon

December 3, 2011 By 21 Comments

By Alpha Miguel-Sanford

As in my previous blog interviews, every time this chance arrives I am as excited as a young child on Christmas Day unwrapping Santa’s gifts. There is always something that makes me jump for joy and draw a smile on my face whenever I interview and write about these people that I admire. This is partly because I am truly enamored by all the happy-endings of every story, or the lesson learned, or the mistakes made and how these have transformed the person’s life. Each of these stories brings thoughts, inspiration and most all, just a pure sense of happiness. And every time I get to finish the interview and review the answers, I feel like I have just received a dusting of the fairy godmother’s pixie dust and I feel like it is my responsibility to sprinkle some of the magical dust on you, as well!

And this is what I am doing right now with Ms. Joannalene Escarlos-Abayon’s story –  a working mother of two, an executive assistant to a business honcho, wife and  a great humorist!

Her story was something I want to be heard. Her story is something that some recent college graduates need to know and people like you and I need to be inspired more. Her story is authenticated with the perfect blend of  life’s yin and yang: failure, disappointments, laughter, sadness, hopes, victory and then, love.

Growing up with her is synonymous to gas pains due to excessive laughter! I remember hanging out in their house with the presence of their house help/mayor doma (as what we used to call her), Manang Dioning, we would be served with food and most of all, numerous stories filled with happiness and amusement.  I always thought she was born with a sack of infinite jest and if needed for a moment or two, she can just pull out from that sack, a joke or something that will liven up the day! However, the best thing about her is despite her wittiness, she knows when to listen and when to be a friend. We’ve shared many days and nights dreaming about what we would want to be when we grow up – with two of our bestfriends, Marifil delos Santos and Josephine de Leon. At times when we were permitted, we would go up to her room where we could overlook the Camiling skyline – and talk about our future, and of course our crushes (we were always  careful of our volume when we talked about boys during that time). She is my childhood friend, whom  riding bikes and buying baked goods from Lalog Bakery was our favorite past time – not to mention going to their house, almost every week to watch the latest Hollywood movie.

Lhen, as we call her – has created many names to many people and has made many people laugh and smile. In fact, she was the one who nicknamed me “Mhegs”. She has that incredible gift with words and stories - and she continues to share not only her gift of hilarity but her many talents to the people around her.

This is her story:

AMS:  You and haven’t seen each other for a long time. What is new with you, Len? and of course, How are you?


Joannalene: I haven’t seen you in ages, Mhegs. If I am not mistaken, the last time we saw each other was July 2003 during my despedida (going-away party). You gave me a white hanky and a car keychain. You mentioned in your note that the hanky will help me wipe my tears in case I suffer homesickness and the car key chain will inspire me to have my own car soon which was a dream come true. I was 21 years old and single that time. Now, I’m turning 30, married and a mother of two adorable kids (Yona and Edric) although sometimes I consider my husband (Mr. Joy Abayon of Masbate, Philippines) as my eldest among my kids. I’m still same old wacky Lhen you knew since elementary although there’s a big change in me physically.

AMS: Could you please tell us your background? I know I can vaguely remember how you got to Abu Dhabi - could you please tell us how did you get to where you are now?

Joannalene: I’m a graduate of BS Accountancy from PSBA-QC and a Certified Office Administrator from New York Institute of Business Studies. Right after graduating college, I asked my mom regarding what salary I get if ever I decide to work in a bank based in our locality. She frankly told me that as a fresh graduate, I would get around 3,000 to 4,000 pesos monthly, net of tax. I got frustrated when she told me that because it’s almost the same as my monthly allowance during college. The only difference is that I work this time and not study. Since, I have an ambition in life and my dreams are bigger than I am I decided to leave the country in search for greener pastures. And I ended up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. I was 21 years old, no work experience and looking for a job in a foreign country. I was lucky because my grandmother’s sister owns a company here so I started working there. After a few years of gaining experience, I moved on and joined several companies. I am now working for Baker Hughes as an Executive Assistant to the Vice President of the Gulf Geomarket. My work primarily is to assist my boss for all his business commitments and ensure that his focus remains on important tasks and that his time is productively utilized. I’m also responsible for the day-to-day business of our office and makes sure that we operate smoothly.

AMS: What is it like to achieve what you have now? Do you think your parents are very proud of you?


Joannalene: It’s fulfilling to know where I am and what I have now. Everything that I have dreamed of when I was a child is becoming a reality. Aiming for success is a long journey but I know I will get there. I know I can. I think my parents are proud of my achievements and also because I have given them two sweet grandchildren. That is priceless to them.

AMS: Who are your inspirations in life? What motivated you to become who you are today?


Joannalene: My family especially my kids (Yona and Edric) inspire me in everything I do. They’re my life. What motivated me? Until you have asked me this question, I have not thought about what truly motivated me to become of who I am today. I value my family and I guess that forces me unconsciously in everything I do. I always want the best for them.

AMS: When you were trying to achieve where you are right now, did you experience some disappointments and failures? What are they? Can you explain how you overcome these circumstances?


Joannalene: Not everything in life is easy. I failed to become a Certified Public Accountant. It’s a depressing stage of my life especially when you know that your family is counting on you. It’s hard to accept that you failed them. But I never gave up finding a better path for me. I have faith that God has something better for me. And it does…..that is if you believe. That failure became my driving force to become successful.

AMS: Has anyone of your friends, relatives ever told you what qualities they admire about you? What are they?


Joannalene: My boss and I had a recent talk regarding my performance. And it’s flattering to know that I never failed to impress him with my work. Resourcefulness is innate in me. Madiskarte at maabilidad nga raw ako sa buhay. (According to him, I am very resouceful and smart in life.) I can handle pressure and I have the ability to deal with difficult people. They say my good sense of humor makes it easy for me to deal with them.

AMS: Can you share to us your philosophy in life and how this affected your success.


Joannalene: A few things here:

1. Always have faith in GOD.
2. Love the people who treat you right and pray for the ones who don’t. Apply the “Law of the Garbage Truck.”
3. Always think positive.
4. Believe in yourself. Be confident.
5. Lahat ng problema may solusyon, kung walang solusyon wag mong problemahin. (All problems have solutions; if there is no solution to it, then don’t dwell on it.”
Just a few of my favorite quotes in life. When you are optimistic in life, happiness and success in everything you do follows.

AMS:  What do you think are the three most important things/skills that a person who is aspiring to be successful in their chosen career?

Joannalene: FOCUS – Set your goal and stick to it. ; CONFIDENCE – Always believe in yourself that you can do it.  and KNOWLEDGE - You need to work smarter and not harder.

AMS: As a Filipino working in a foreign country, what has been some of the most influential events you’ve experienced? Can you really say that Filipinos are really great and take pride in their work?


Joannalene: Nothing much to share about influential events. There are many Filipinos in UAE. They work as engineers, nurses or hospital workers, accountants, office workers, construction workers, house helper, restaurant workers are just few to mention. And I am proud to say that Filipinos are really talented and a smart breed of people. As per my personal experience in the workplace, a Filipino will always want to excel in everything he does. And no matter how bad things get, we always seem to find something to smile about to keep us going.

AMS:  Did you have a mentor or a teacher or somebody in your family who has given you some words of wisdom? Can you tell us about this person and how he/she impacted you?


Joannalene: Aside from my Papa and Mama’s (Mr. Marlo Escarlos and Ms. Delia Agustin) words of wisdom. Ate Lorna Al Yaqobi, is my mentor. She’s like a big sister to me. She’s from Vigan, Philippines a mother of three children and married to a local. As an expat, I consider her husband as one of the most influential man in the UAE. I admire her for what she has gone through to be successful. As the old folks say, if you want to be successful, you should rub elbows with other successful people.

AMS: What would be your next goal – for your professional development? For your family?


Joannalene: I wanted to study or take another professional qualification to progress in my career. But I’ll have to wait until my kids are independent. I wanted to enjoy them while they’re still young. My kids are still very young so my goal is for them to enjoy their childhood. There’s no greater joy for parents than watching their children grow up happy and become good human beings.

AMS:  Did your drive for success and life change after having two babies?


Joannalene: Yes, it’s a tough job to be a working mom especially if you have two young kiddos. You need to strive harder in order to meet your goal. But I’m glad to have them while I’m young because I have the energy and strength I needed to handle the responsibilities I have in my job and in my family.

AMS: What is the most challenging part of being a Mom and also a full-time career woman?


Joannalene: It’s finding the right balance of being a mother, a wife and a full time career woman. Parenthood is like a spinning blender without a cap on. It’s an unimaginable situation that you go through everyday in your life. Until now, I’m still trying to get the right balance.

AMS: Finally, what is your definition of success.


Joannalene: I can define it with one word – Happiness! To be successful you need to be happy. Without happiness, material success is not meaningful at all.

To read other inspiring Success Stories, click here.

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Saturday Success Story Eleven: ABNER FELIX

October 15, 2011 By 1 Comment

These days one of the easiest way to know the credibility and integrity of a person is by typing his name on any one of the search engines, (Google if you may) and it will generate the results that you so want to see and read. Gone are the days of waiting for the results of a CORI or the long lines of going to the NBI to get your cleared records. In these days of instant communication and information technology at the end of your fingertips, finding people whom you’ve known and met years ago and how they have fared through life since the last time you’ve seen them, has been as easy as hitting a “that was easy!” button from Staples!

Take our Saturday Success Story for instance. If you type in his name on Yahoo.com (we’ll use that instead of Google) the first thing that will pop up from the results is a facebook page. If you are friends with him, you will surely land on his wall and his information. On that page, you will be able to take a peek of what and who he is, and why he is a success story.

As an Engineering graduate from the University of the Philippines, our success story of the week has been trained to lead and succeed. The academic rigor at the UP-Diliman campus has prepared him very well to handle the pressure and the expectations of a would-be executive. Even at an early age, he was already being prep to succeed. Being the only son to a public school teacher, Mrs. Juliana Felix and a former school teacher, Mr. Armando Felix (noted for his Dad’s looks and many of the townspeople know him by is name “Manding”!), he grew up to exceed and meet their high standards.  In fact, he graduated as the valedictorian from grade school! In high school he was involved in many leadership activities which later on served him very well. He finished high school as the class salutatorian from Tarlac College of Agriculture-Laboratory High School in Camiling, Tarlac.

Talked about overachiever at an early age! Hence, being an overachiever gets a person to where he puts his heart into. Once an achiever, always an achiever. That was the idea that our success story has in mind long before he was able to feel comfortable in his life.

Because he was true to his passion and what he has learned from college, he pursued his interests, his first love and he stuck to it even if it meant leaving the Philippines. That first love was – providing what is the best for his family and for the future of his only daughter.

When he arrived in New York, as most Filipino immigrants would have experienced – life was not really filled  with honey and milk immediately, nor all the time. But because he was incredibly talented and smart, he was blessed to land a job that fulfills his passion.

What is  also notable about him is that he is proud and happy to lead one of New York universities’ Environmental Health and Safety Council. As the Director in one of the largest urban public universities in the United States, he has a big job to attend to. He has his hands full! In fact, if you are one of the Directors of a campus that has over 480,000 students, you have an obligation to adhere to the standard culture of achievement of that campus! You have to – you do not have a choice. But, what is even more extraordinary about this is that, if you are the only Filipino in the whole university who is part of the administration team, then – that becomes a joy to remember! That becomes historical! YOU become a part of the history and then you hope somebody recognizes your effort for being the only Filipino in the administration team who is behind the push and the many initiatives of the university!

Such is the career path of MR. ABNER FELIX, a family man, one of the College Directors of the Environmental and Health Safety, Dad of Allyanna, tee-time goer, sports junkie and most importantly, he recognizes where he came from and is thankful for it!

Addendum: Now, before you read the rest of this post what really makes our Saturday Success Story a hot entry on Google search , google your name first and see what comes up.

Here is his humbling story:

AMS: Tell us about yourself. Your education, training and where you are currently involved in.
AF: I consider myself a go-getter, have high standards and always motivated to master something I put my mind into, whether its work, sport, hobby or particular interest I have. Being with people – working with them, being involved in a cause, engaging in similar interest or entertaining – comes naturally to me .

While I don’t consider myself a perfectionist, I strive for excellence in everything I do. I always do my best, accept mistakes and learn from them without feeling unworthy or diminishing self-esteem.

I believe I have an eye for aesthetics and technology – it can be fashion, home design, electronics, technology. My style or preference in design is modern contemporary.

I consider myself a sports junkie, musically inclined, tech guy and someone who has never forgotten where he came from.

I finished my Bachelors Degree in Metallugical Engineering at University of Philippines, certified in several Materials and Process Engineering areas and Environmental Compliance and Occupational Health and Safety. In the Philippines, I worked at San Miguel Corporation, MOOG, Inc. (Baguio Branch).

In the U.S., I started with Cleanharbors, an environmental management company that supports top pharmaceutical clients, semiconductor and aerospace companies and universities.

Most recently, I was an Assistant Director/Environmental Health Specialist (EHS) at Hunter College in New York. Currently, I am EHS Director of the City University of New York’s (CUNY) Bronx Community College.

AMS: At this point in your life, what are some of your greatest achievements?
AF: Getting my engineering degree at UP Diliman remains one of my greatest achievements, something that at one point didn’t seem to be possible given financial difficulties in my family. Even if I was the only child, it was hard relying on my mom’s public school teacher paycheck only.

Migrating to the United States and making it here professionally is another achievement. I never dreamt of it, but it’s definitely a blessing that it happened to me.

Being considered one of the EHS leaders in the largest urban university (CUNY) is also an important milestone in my career.

Lastly, being a family man – husband and father to a wonderful 12-year old daughter – is something I am most proud of. My wife is the yin to my yang while my daughter keeps me driven to continue to work hard for her future.

AMS: In going for these achievements, who helped you? Did you have any mentor or somebody who helped you while pursuing your career?

AF: I didn’t really have a mentor, maybe because of my independent nature. However, there’s somebody whom I believed always helped me, pushed me, motivated me – it’s my wife. Shirley taught me to reach for things I never even thought were possible. She’s been always there when I need somebody to cheer for me, to rally my spirits, listen and tell me that everything is possible and I can do it!

My mom (Mrs. Juliana Felix) is my inspiration. She has a soft-spoken and submissive nature, but what I will not forget is that she never said ‘NO” to me. She always makes things happen for me when I was in high school and college, even though we were living from paycheck to paycheck, or if it meant going door-to-door to borrow money so I can get my weekly allowance, pay for bus fare so I can continue my schooling.

AMS: If, you were to tell us what are the most important skills that you need in order to be successful – what are they?

AF: I think that it’s important to be willing to take risks and possess problem solving and creative skills.

It is also critical to always have a plan and contingency plans if things don’t go your way the first time. One should not give up right away and having a plan keeps you on course to achieving your goals, whether short or long-term. One always has to know how to work with people, get them motivated and be able to influence them.

AMS: You work in NYC as an Engineer, right? What do you think is the biggest challenge when you were starting out your career in the United States? How did you overcome some of these challenges?

AF: I am not really practicing my profession as an engineer now, per se, but because of my previous engineering work and skills during the first few years of my career in the Philippines, I was able to apply this in my present occupation. The biggest challenge for me was communication and adapting to the American workplace culture and employee-employer set-up.

Another issue is discrimination which is still prevalent in the US, where you are judged based on where you came from, your accent, your education. Establishing credibility doesn’t happen overnight, you have to earn it, then respect will come and people will stop judging you and see what you can bring to the table. Sometimes, people are surprised how accomplished or experienced you are because you are not from the US, and came from another country.

AMS:  While growing up Manong, what were your dreams? Have you reached all of them? If not yet, what are you doing to achieve them?

AF: As a child, I’ve always wanted to be a doctor or lawyer. But my ultimate dream is simple — to be able to give a better life to my parents and having a better life than the one my parents had. Being an Environmental Health and Safety person, I guess, somewhat gives me the satisfaction – my present job requires basic medical knowledge in identifying and solving potential adverse health effects of chemicals and hazardous substances on campus, and the part of environmental and occupational safety compliance to regulatory mandates takes the other half of my ultimate dream. Come to think of it, my job right now actually has aspects of being a medical doctor/lawyer job combined work wise, that makes it fulfilling and challenging.

AMS: What are your next goals? for your family and for your professional growth?

AF: My primary goal is to provide the best education that I can afford for my daughter Alyanna to help her reach her fullest potential, be able to give her the opportunities that I never had.

Professionally, I dream of setting up my own environmental management company catering to demands of private and public sectors in the fields of environmental consultancy, remediation, testing, etc.

I also plan to get a graduate degree, but I haven’t decided yet which academic avenue I should focus on.

Lastly, I also would like to retire well with my wife, be able to enjoy what we have accomplished in our life together and I look forward to spending my twilight years, most likely traveling and retiring in our dream house by the water or an incredible view, maybe with my dream car parked in our garage.

Daily with you,

Alpha :-)

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